The reference to eating and drinking is incidental; the true and inner thought is

summed up in the word "content". What Ecclesiastes expressed in his way and for his

hearers Paul says to us:--

We have passed in review many of the outstanding features of this book, and while

many and weighty passages remain unexamined, we feel the key-thought of the book has

been discovered and applied. The quest before the writer was to discover "what is that

good" that should be the aim and portion in this life. "Let us hear the conclusion of the

whole matter".  Ecclesiastes does not leave it to his readers to draw their own

conclusions; he sets it out before us:--

"FEAR GOD." ­It is fitting that this book which so emphasizes the excellence of

wisdom should conclude thus. In Prov. 1: 7 we read, "The fear of the Lord is the

beginning of knowledge", and in Ecclesiastes the fear of God is the conclusion of the

matter. The outstanding features of Ecclesiastes may be said to revolve around the

following words and themes.

1. VANITY.--We have already considered the reiterated cry of the Preacher, "Vanity

of vanities". The number of references prevents us from citing them all again; and their

scope takes in all the activities of this mortal span from birth to death. Does Koheleth

apply his "conclusion of the matter" to this? He does. "In the multitude of dreams and

many words there are also divers vanities: but fear thou God" (5: 7). "A dream cometh

through the multitude of business", says verse 3, and therefore, instead of becoming

entangled therein, "Fear God".

2. INEQUALITIES.--Over and over again the Preacher speaks of the righteous

suffering as the wicked, or the wicked prospering. He speaks of the vanity of the careful

labour of a father being dissipated by a foolish son. He further sees that the wise man

dieth as the fool, and that one event happens to all, to him that is wicked and to him that

is righteous. Does Ecclesiastes find refuge in his "conclusion of the matter"? He does:--